Mr Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, says menstruation should not be a barrier to ending the education of young girls in the country.
Mr Chinnia underscored the importance of girl child education and called on authorities and stakeholders to collectively be responsible and put in place structures that allow an unbiased system against girl child education.
The Deputy Minister said this in Accra to commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day on the theme: “Together for a Period Friendly in Ghana.”
Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed globally and annually on May 28 to break the silence and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.
He said the future of young girls played an important role in national development, adding, “We need to have a holistic education and development for them.”
He advocated comprehensive education for both boys and girls on menstrual hygiene management for a better understanding of the issue.
Mr Chinnia called for equal opportunities for boys and girls to explore their knowledge and environment of menstrual hygiene devoid of gender discrimination.
He expressed concern about the factors that impeded the educational growth of girls and called for concerted efforts to address the menace.
Mr Chinnia, also the Member of Parliament for Sissala East, recognised the contribution of women in society, saying, “There is no successful home without a woman.”
He stated that the citizenry needed to address the myths or misconceptions about menstruation, especially in the villages, through continuous education.
That, he stressed, would help deal with resistance to change, especially for people, who find it difficult to accept that menstruation is a natural phenomenon, which would help them make informed choices.
Madam Esther Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Communications Africa, called on authorities to allocate resources to support the activities of girls going through menstruation and women in general.
She called for open discussions and knowledge sharing to address the myths surrounding menstrual health hygiene.
Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, called on all to develop policies to preserve menstrual health hygiene, adding, “Without menstruation, there is no humanity.”
He called on the government to abolish taxes on sanitary pads to make the product accessible and cheap for women, especially young ladies in rural communities.
Nana Kwame Bediako, an Independent Presidential Candidate for the New Force Movement, said there was a need to protect women in society because “a house without a mother is not a home.”
